Geline Salac

Batangas rep explains why House opted for 4th complaint to impeach VP Sara Duterte

Article (news)

Jonathan Frederic De Santos

ABS-CBN News

<div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABUDgWUBh706o-Hb&amp;activation=click&amp;vip_mode=playing&amp;vip_position=bottom-right"></script></div><p>MANILA — Endorsing a fourth complaint to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte was a collective decision that members of the House reached after studying the issues and the three complaints already filed, a lawmaker tapped for the prosecution team said Saturday.</p><p>Speaking on TeleRadyo Serbisyo, Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro countered criticism that the House sat on the three complaints only to endorse the fourth one on the last day before Congress went on break. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/7/sara-duterte-says-she-s-okay-after-impeachment-we-leave-it-to-the-lawyers-1127">Sara Duterte says she’s ‘okay’ after impeachment: ‘We leave it to the lawyers’</a></div><p>Luistro said House members studied the issues and complaints individually “before we came up with our common decision and appreciation of what is happening.”</p><p>She said national parties also used the months since December to study and to consult and consolidate their members.</p><p>“Hindi naman po nagsayang ng panahon. Nag-aral lang po ang members ng House.”</p><p>(We did not waste time. The House members only used it to study the issues)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/6/escudero-says-sara-duterte-impeachment-trial-can-t-be-done-during-congress-break-1105">Escudero says Sara Duterte impeachment trial can’t be done during Congress break</a></div><p>“Ang appreciation namin dito, we actually saved the impeachment process kasi medyo may time constraint na,” she said.</p><p>(Our appreciation of this is we actually saved the impeachment process because there already was a time constraint)</p><p>She said the impeachment complaint had to be transmitted to the Senate before the end of the 19th Congress in June. </p><p>The country will elect its next officials, including its district and party-list representatives, in May, which would change the composition of — and power relations at —  the House as it convenes for the 20th Congress.</p><div><strong>NO TIME FOR HEARINGS ON FIRST 3 COMPLAINTS</strong></div><p>The fourth impeachment complaint was seen as a middle ground for the first complaint — which Luistro said was too long, with around 23 allegations — and the two that followed it, which were too short.</p><p>“But nonetheless, parehas po itong dadaan sa justice committee kasi wala siyang support ng one third of the House, and considering the limited time that is remaining… talagang hindi po kakayanin,” she said.</p><p>(Nonetheless, those complaints would still go through the justice committee because they do not have the support of a third of the House, and considering the limited time that is remaining, they would not have prospered)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/7/-medyo-tight-house-panel-has-few-session-days-left-for-impeachment-complaints-1055">‘Medyo tight’: House panel has few session days left for impeachment complaints</a></div><p>The House last Wednesday transmitted the fourth complaint, which had the endorsement of 215 of 306 members, to the Senate for trial.</p><p>&quot;Although it took us long, I believe the timing was reasonable enough for the national parties to intercede para finally ay we (so that we could finally) come up with the fourth impeachment complaint,&quot; Luistro said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/7/sandro-marcos-says-vp-sara-s-tirades-led-to-him-signing-impeachment-complaint-1856">Sandro Marcos says VP Sara&#x27;s tirades led to him signing impeachment complaint</a></div><p>Akbayan Party-List Rep. Perci Cendaña, Gabriela Womens&#x27; Party Rep. Arlene Brosas, ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. France Castro, Kabataan Party-List Rep. Raoul Manuel, Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr. and AAMBIS-OWA party-list Rep. Lex Anthony Colada — House members who endorsed one of the three earlier complaints — also endorsed the fourth one filed last Wednesday.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AmZQvZaohU0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>“Hindi naman po nagsayang ng panahon. Nag-aral lang po ang members ng House,” Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro said.</p>

“Hindi naman po nagsayang ng panahon. Nag-aral lang po ang members ng House,” Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro said.